On January 30, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) unanimously adopted a resolution entitled “The urgent need for free and fair elections in Belarus.” All 79 PACE members who took part in the voting voted for this document.
The document notes that the “so-called elections” on January 26 do not meet the minimum international standards for democratic elections. PACE sees no reason to recognize Lukashenka’s legitimacy.
The Lukashenka regime is being asked to stop all repression against dissent, immediately release political prisoners and ensure their rehabilitation, declare an amnesty for all those arrested for political reasons, and stop torture and inhumane treatment of prisoners. PACE also calls for the organization of free and fair elections with respect for civil and political rights and freedoms.
She also calls for intensifying support for the Belarusian democratic forces led by Tsikhanouskaya, supporting and expanding investigations into human rights violations in Belarus, and actively supporting mechanisms to bring perpetrators to justice, and exploring measures to simplify entry and stay in safe and dignified conditions for Belarusians fleeing the Lukashenka regime.
PACE called on the member states of the Council of Europe to support the Lithuanian government’s lawsuit on the situation in Belarus to the office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.
